A guy browsing the cereal selection looks around at me, but I ignore him.
Bas laughs. “Try me. I would go to great lengths to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”
This is why I have had a crush on him since middle school. The guy’s too sweet for my sanity.
“Bah, I’m just being melodramatic. Honestly, I’m fine. I just need some vitamin C and a big juicy steak and—” Our conversation got so relaxed for a minute I almost finished that sentence with, ‘a good dicking down like you gave me last week’. But, of course I can’t say that to Bas.
“And what?”
“Nothing.” I snatch a basket and stuff it full of dubious looking overpriced carrots and corn.
“Vera, you need what? I thought we weren’t being weird.”
Shit. Now he’s called me on it. “And a long phone call with my mom.”
He snorts. “Try again.”
“A spa day?”
“Vera, that’s not what you were going to say, is it?”
I sigh, glancing around at the guy behind the counter who is giving me a weird look. I cup my hand around the phone and whisper, “And a good dicking down. Only my regular friends arestill not back on campus, and I can’t be bothered with anyone new.” That’s not strictly true.
One of the guys I regularly catch up with got back last night. I know because he sent me a very eloquent:hey, wyd?at ten, likely hoping I’d invite him around while my roommate is still out of town.
I didn’t.
Somehow I couldn’t face it, though he’s a perfectly good fuck and doesn’t hang around afterward and try to make awkward conversation or anything, so in theory, he would have been perfect.
I just didn’t want to.
Bas has gone quiet on the other end of the line.
“Hey, you still there? Did that cross some kind of line?”
“Yeah, I mean no. No it didn’t cross a line. I’m glad you felt like you could talk to me about this stuff.”
“But?” I nudge. From the tone of his voice I can tell there’s something up.
“Aw, nothing, just thinking about you meeting random guys. It ah… it doesn’t sit right. Not that you shouldn’t do what you want, just… are you safe, Ver? You’re so far away. What if one of them was dangerous?”
“It’s fine. I’m careful. I meet them in public first.” For some reason my pulse is climbing over this conversation.
Bas grunts. “Still. Nothing to stop a guy from pretending to be normal in public and then doing something completely fucked once he gets you alone.”
I put a steak in my basket and a bar of chocolate for good measure and head to the register. “What can I say? I’m a good judge of character. No one’s done anything I didn’t want them to yet.”
He’s quiet. I pay for my things and exit the shop, slinging the bag over my arm. “Bas. I can tell you’re mad with me. Just say it.”
He sighs. “I just… I would die a little bit if anything happened to you. Or a lot. Will you promise me something?”
“I’m not promising to become a nun,” I tell him with a laugh.
“Not that… just… next time you meet someone, will you text me? Just where and when. You don’t need to give me details. Just text me and if I don’t hear from you to check in, then I’m driving up there to find the body.”
“Bas!”
“OK, I’d be saving you, making the body, and burying the evidence, but, Vera, promise me.”
